high priestess hour with vanessa carlton: part 2

Running, espresso- making, play zee piana (after coffee and right before I sleep… if I am writing something), lots of dog walking, wine, make the bed, water my plant cemetery, hang with friends, I travel every 2 weeks. Also, sometimes I go through periods where I go back to ballet class and take it every morning. It’s a ritual I can never be too far from.

You can’t force it. As I said earlier, it’s like you gather up stuff in your brain, but you don’t even know it’s happening and then eventually it takes shape though your work. I have no control of it. I don’t sit at the piano everyday– but I’ll sit when it pulls me. Recently I wrote a song a week for 2 months. That’s never happened before; but I felt like I was going to burst open unless I wrote.

The instrumental parts are usually written in a couple minutes and then melding it and weaving in the poem can take either 10 minutes or a year. Once I have the fundamental vision of why and how I want to put all the songs together…Once I feel the thread…I go into the studio.

After Rabbits on the Run (my last album)– the studio chapter has become my favorite part because Steve Osborne (my producer) helps me create sounds that feel like drugs and magic.

Drinking.

Everything in moderation is something I struggle with, but that is the key to staying ok on the road. Everyone gets worn out by the end. It is an honorable job. I always focus on taking care of my health. It’s usually ground hog day before sound check and I try and remember people want to see you do your thing so you better do it real good.

I usually create four stage-ready outfits that my friend and costume designer Tracey Moulton helps me put together. I send her pics from my shitty blackberry to her shitty blackberry in la and it works wonders!

Flax shirts. Proudly. People look.

Sayulita, Mexico, Newport RI, San Francisco. I like Chicago a lot too.

I don’t know but I’m pretty excited about it. Getting older has been awesome.

Hi Vanessa….I have to admit…I didn’t really listen to a lot of your music until I ran across your youtube videos & now I am soooo amazed how talented you really are…Definitely takes you to another place in your mind……Very Inspiring! Also, looking @ your website shows that you’ve stayed grounded & humble unlike many artist that allows the fame to change them……’arrogant ones’ …….I find that really cool! Much love to u & may u continue to have everlasting success! aNdRe